Tournaments

Karen Lee Hoi Man attracting attention on opening day

03 Aug 2017

Representing Hong Kong ‘D’ and making very much her first steps in international waters, Karen Lee Hoi Man emerged as the player to attract the attention on the opening day of play, Wednesday 2nd August, at the Hang Seng 2017 Hong Kong Junior and Cadet Open.

Lining up alongside Jim Lok Lam in the Cadet Girls’ Team event, against expectations the duo finished in first place in the initial stage group.

Karen Lee Hoi Man, very much a name to note (Photo: courtesy of Hong Kong Table Tennis Association Ltd)

by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

They made the best possible start to the campaign; in their opening encounter they beat United States ‘A’ Team trio comprising Lavanya Maruthapandian, Angie Tan and Emily Tan by three matches to two.

Success against the United States was followed by success in opposition to the outfit comprising Sri Lanka’s Hasali Sanaya Buddhadasa, Australia’s Parleen Kaur and England’s Wong Jasmin. A three-nil victory margin was the order of the defeat.

Problems for Lavanya Maruthapandian, Angie Tan and Emily Tan but a three-one victory over the trio formed by Hasali Sanaya Buddhadasa, Parleen Kaur and Wong Jasmin secured second place in the group and thus a passport to the main draw.

Teams finishing in first and second places in each of the four groups advance to the quarter-finals.

Runners up spot for the United States, for the other leading outfits it was first place.

Hong Kong ‘A’, the top seeds, with Lee Ka Yee and Ng Wing Lam on duty, finished in first place in their group, as did the next two outfits in the order of merit. It was pole position for the Chinese Taipei ‘A’ Team duo of Cai Fong-En and Huang Yu-Jie; a situation that also applied to the Hong Kong ‘B’ Team pairing formed by Chelsea Chan Shiu Lam and Chau Wing Sze.

In addition to Lavanya Maruthapandian, Angie Tan and Emily Tan; second places finished in the hands of Japan’s Haruna Ojio and Fuwa Yumoto, as well as in the grasp of the Hong Kong ‘C’ Team duo comprising Phoebe Wai Hui and Lee Chung Yang. Likewise it was runners up spot for the United States ‘B’ Team trio formed by Joanna Sung, Rachel Sung and Neha Saju.